Posts
Candace’s Corner
· National Oatmeal Month “My last name in German is oatmeal”
· Spirit hour[3]: Goldschlager in honor of St. John Chrysostom
· Pray Day 1 of the Novena for our Pope and Bishops
· Tuesday: Litany of St. Michael the Archangel
· Religion in the Home for Preschool: January
· Carnival Time begins in Catholic Countries.
· Plan winter fun:
o Soak in hot springs
o Hit the snow slopes
o Ride a snowmobile
o Go for a dog sled ride
o Ride a hot air balloon
· How to celebrate Jan 27th
o Start your day by indulging in a slice of decadent chocolate cake, celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day. Treat yourself to this sweet delight and kick off your day on a delicious note.
o Embrace your inner child by popping some bubble wrap, in honor of National Bubble Wrap Day. The satisfying sound of the bubbles bursting can be a fun way to de-stress and add some excitement to your day.
o Take a moment to appreciate the wonders of the world by diving into a National Geographic
magazine or documentary. Explore the beauty and diversity of our planet from the comfort of your own home.
o Next, acknowledge the importance of time and hard work on Punch the Clock Day. Use this as a cue to be productive and efficient in your daily tasks, whether at work or at home.
o Show your gratitude for the people who keep our online communities thriving on Community Manager Appreciation Day. Reach out to a community manager you admire and thank them for their hard work in fostering online connections.
o Take a moment to recognize the challenges and triumphs of motherhood on World Breast Pumping Day. Support a new mom in your life by offering a helping hand or a listening ear.
π΅πΉ Portugal — Douro Valley
Theme: River of Gold, River of Mercy
January in the Douro is quiet, contemplative, and stunning — terraced vineyards rising above the river like amphitheaters of stone and grace. It’s a perfect transition from Rioja’s oak‑aged fire into Portugal’s river‑carved mercy.
π Candace’s Worldwide Vineyard Tour
Week 12: Portugal — Douro Valley
Theme: River of Gold, River of Mercy
Dates: January 27 – February 2, 2026
Base: Porto • Peso da RΓ©gua • PinhΓ£o
Seasonal Note: Winter river season — mist rising from the Douro, terraced vines resting in golden silence.
π️ Tuesday, January 27 – Arrival in Porto
✈️ Travel: Fly into Porto Airport (OPO)
π Transfer: Train to Peso da RΓ©gua ($12, 2 hours)
π¨ Lodging: Original Douro Hotel ($85/night)
π Evening: Walk along the Douro River promenade
π₯ Symbolic Act — “Mercy at the Water’s Edge”
Touch the river and name one place in your life that needs gentleness.
π️ Wednesday, January 28 – Quinta do Vallado
π· Visit: Quinta do Vallado ($30 tasting)
π️ Tour: Historic estate founded in 1716
π½️ Lunch: Vallado kitchen garden menu ($25)
π± Symbolic Act — “Golden Terrace”
Stand on the terrace and pray for the courage to rise above old patterns.
π️ Thursday, January 29 – PinhΓ£o & River Cruise
π Morning: Scenic train to PinhΓ£o ($6)
π€ River Cruise: 1‑hour Douro rabelo boat ride ($15)
π· Visit: Quinta do Bomfim (Symington family, ~$25 tasting)
✨ Symbolic Act — “Mercy in Motion”
Write a short reflection on how God has carried you through the past year.
π️ Friday, January 30 – Quinta do Seixo (Sandeman)
π️ Visit: Quinta do Seixo
— iconic black‑cloaked Sandeman estate (~$30 tasting)
π Overlook: One of the best views in the Douro
π· Tasting: Tawny, Ruby, Vintage Port
π₯ Symbolic Act — “River of Fire”
Light a candle at sunset and ask for clarity in your next steps.
π️ Saturday, January 31 – Lamego Sanctuary & Sparkling Wines
⛪ Visit: Sanctuary of Our Lady of Remedies
πΆ Climb: Baroque staircase (686 steps)
πΎ Visit: Murganheira — Portugal’s iconic sparkling wines (~$20 tasting)
πΈ Symbolic Act — “Mercy Ascending”
Leave a flower at the sanctuary steps for someone who needs healing.
π️ Sunday, February 1 – Mass & Vineyard Benediction
⛪ Mass: SΓ© Cathedral of Lamego
π Typical Sunday Mass: 11:00 AM
π· Visit: Quinta da Pacheca (~$25 tasting)
✍️ Writing: Compose a blessing for the next vineyard traveler
π₯ Evening: Toast with 10‑year Tawny Port
π Symbolic Act — “Douro Benediction”
Bless the river, the terraces, and the mercy that flows through them.
π️ Monday, February 2 – Departure (Feast of the Presentation)
π Return: RΓ©gua → Porto
✈️ Depart: Porto Airport
π Feast Day Note: Offer a final candle at any Porto church before departure
π Suggested Next Stop:
· South Africa (Stellenbosch) — “Vine of Light, Vine of Restoration”
· New Zealand (Marlborough) — “Vine of Purity, Vine of Wind”
· Argentina (Mendoza) — “Vine of Altitude, Vine of Courage”
π° Estimated Total Cost: ~$690 USD
Includes:
· 6 nights lodging
· 4–5 vineyard tastings
· Douro river cruise
· Train transfers
· Sanctuary visit
· Sunday Mass
JANUARY 27 Tuesday
Holy Face Devotion-Victims of the Holocaust-Litany of Trust
I am the God of your father, he continued, the God of Abraham, the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face, for he was AFRAID to look at God.
This is Moses first encounter with the Living
God. Moses responded with natural fear
thus he tried to hide himself just as Adam did in the garden. Yet, how does one
hide from God. The beginning of Holiness is to not try to hide but to face our
Lord manfully and admit we are what we are, and He is what He is.
After this Moses was 100 percent for God; he
was His man. Moses here began a journey with God that eventually led to the
birth of Christ true God and true man and we beheld him face to face.
Today try and be 100% for God.
As iron, cast into the fire, loses its rust and
becomes bright with the flame, so too a man who turns his whole heart to Me is
purified and all sluggishness and changed into a new man.[1]
Copilot’s Take
Confronting evil begins with the truth about the
human heart: the Catechism teaches that because of original sin,
humanity is “inclined to evil and subject to error” (CCC 407), and therefore
every Christian must remain vigilant, discerning, and anchored in grace. Evil
is not defeated by our strength but by conversion—“a radical reorientation of
our whole life” toward God (CCC 1430). The Church insists that we must never
cooperate with evil (CCC 1868), whether by silence, complicity, or cowardice,
but instead resist it through virtue, prayer, and the courage to name sin for
what it is. Christ Himself reveals that evil is real, personal, and destructive
(CCC 2850–2854), yet He also shows that it is ultimately powerless before a
soul fully surrendered to God. To confront evil, the Christian stands in the
light, refuses the lie, and clings to the Holy Face of Christ, whose truth
exposes darkness and whose mercy transforms the sinner into a new creation.
Tuesday
Holy Face Devotion-Week 4
Bible in a Year Day 209 God Comforts His People
Fr. Mike brings us into the book of
Consolation as we continue through Isaiah, and learn about how God never fails
to comfort his people, even in the worst of times. He also introduces us to the
Prophet Ezekiel, as we read about God accompanying his people into exile, even
after their unfaithfulness.Today's readings are Isaiah 39-40, Ezekiel 1, and
Proverbs 11:29-31.
International Day of Victims of the Holocaust[2]
Holocaust Memorial Day is a day commemorating the millions of Jews and minority groups who were murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust in the 1930s and 40s. The Holocaust, a systematic and state-planned program to kill millions of Jews and other minority groups in Europe, was one of the most horrific genocides in history with an estimated 11 million lives lost. The purpose of the day is to encourage discussion of this difficult subject in order to make sure that it never happens again. In 2005, Holocaust Memorial Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly. January 27, the remembrance date, is significant as it was the date that Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest and most infamous Nazi extermination camp in Poland, was liberated in 1945. The Holocaust is marked by many different days around the world. In Israel, the day is known as Yom HaShoah and begins when the sun sets on May 4 and finishes in the evening of May 5.
International Day of Victims of the Holocaust Facts & Quotes
· Jewish people were excluded from public life on September 15th, 1935, when the Nuremberg Laws were issued, stripping German Jews of their citizenship and the right to marry Germans.
·
The mass killings of Jews and undesirables in death
camps was referred to as the Final Solution by the Nazis.
·
If we bear all this suffering and if there are
still Jews left, when it is over, then Jews, instead of being doomed, will be
held up as an example. ― Anne Frank, well-known Holocaust victim
·
I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever
human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must take sides. Neutrality
helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never
the tormented” ― Elie Wiesel, Nobel Laureate and Holocaust survivor
Victims of the Holocaust Top Events and Things to Do
· Visit the largest extermination/concentration camp from the Holocaust. The Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, located in Poland, allows visitors to see the camp and learn more about the atrocities committed inside.
·
Join social media campaigns that promote awareness
of the Holocaust, try tweeting using the hashtag #holocaustmemorial or
#remembranceday.
·
Find a HMD activity near you by consulting their
website. There are many different workshops and discussions held year-round. Or
if there are none near you organize an activity yourself to mark HMD in your
community. The HMD website has a selection of useful information on how to do this.
·
Read one of the thought provoking, gripping and
saddening accounts of the Holocaust. Some choice picks include:
1) The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
2) Maus by Art
Spiegelman
3) Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt
·
Watch a movie about the Holocaust. Some popular
picks: Schindler's List (1993), Auschwitz (2011), The Boy in Striped Pajamas (2008), Life is Beautiful (1997) and The Pianist (2002).
Question: Are babies
in the womb considered human? At the Judgement Germany will have
11 million souls to account for: -and America now has 65 million and counting
to account for---think about it.
Litany of Trust
“Deliver me, Jesus, from the fear
that my past is unforgivable.”
January
deepens the Epiphany season with a quieter kind of revelation — not the star
over Bethlehem, not the voice over the Jordan, but the slow unveiling of God’s
mercy in the hidden corners of the human heart. By the time we reach January
27, the light of Epiphany has settled into something steady and searching. It
does not dazzle; it illumines.
This
petition meets one of the most persistent fears of the spiritual life: the fear
that something in our past — a choice, a failure, a wound we inflicted or
endured — lies beyond the reach of mercy. It is the fear that God’s forgiveness
has limits, that His patience has an edge, that His love can be exhausted by
the truth of who we have been.
Epiphany
contradicts this fear with quiet authority.
The God who reveals Himself does not reveal partial mercy.
He does not shine light only on the parts of us that are tidy or admirable. He
shines into the places we would rather keep hidden — not to expose us to shame,
but to free us from it.
The
fear that our past is unforgivable often grows in silence. It feeds on memory,
on regret, on the stories we tell ourselves about what cannot be redeemed. But
Christ does not approach the past the way we do. He does not measure it. He
does not tally it. He does not recoil from it. He enters it — gently, steadily,
with the authority of One who has already borne the weight of every human
failure.
To
pray this petition on January 27 is to let Epiphany’s light fall on the places
we fear most. It is to trust that God’s mercy is not theoretical but personal,
not abstract but intimate. It is to believe that the past — even the parts we
cannot speak aloud — is not a barrier to God but a place where His grace
desires to dwell.
This
prayer invites us to release the belief that our history defines our destiny.
It calls us to trust that forgiveness is not a fragile gift but a steadfast
promise. The One who knows our past completely loves us completely. Nothing in
our story is stronger than His desire to heal.
To pray these words today is to step into the truth Epiphany reveals: that nothing in us is beyond the reach of Christ’s mercy, and nothing in our past is beyond the possibility of redemption.
Daily Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Binding and
suppressing the Devils Evil Works
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]
Paone, Anthony J., Our Daily Bread, 1954.
[3]Foley,
Michael P... Drinking with the Saints: The Sinner's Guide to a Holy Happy Hour
(p. 370). Regnery History. Kindle Edition.
[4] Schultz,
Patricia. 1,000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler's Life List Workman
Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
[5] Sheraton, Mimi.
1,000 Foods To Eat Before You Die: A Food Lover's Life List (p. 800). Workman
Publishing Company. Kindle Edition.
Unholy Love (1932) is a loose, Americanized, pre‑Code reimagining of Madame Bovary, set in Rye, New York, and centered on adultery, class resentment, and moral collapse. It was the first screen adaptation of Flaubert’s novel, though the film bears only a faint resemblance to the original story and was quickly overshadowed by later versions.
π¬ UNHOLY LOVE (1932) — PRE‑CODE HOLLYWOOD
π Core Facts
- Release: June 9, 1932
- Director/Producer: Albert Ray
- Stars: H.B. Warner, Lila Lee, Joyce Compton, Lyle Talbot
- Source Material: Suggested by Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (characters renamed, plot heavily altered)
- Setting: Rye, New York (upper‑class social world)
π Plot Summary (Concise & Accurate)
Sheila, the daughter of a gardener, impulsively marries Jerry, a young doctor from a respected family. The town’s elite reject her, and loneliness drives her toward Alex, a charming but predatory neighbor. Sheila begins borrowing money, buying a secret house for their affair, and spiraling into debt and deception. Jerry’s father tries to help her integrate into society, but Sheila’s choices lead to scandal, ruin, and the collapse of her marriage.
π️ Catholic Moral & Spiritual Reading
1. The False Promise of Escape
Sheila embodies the perennial temptation: “If only I had more—more beauty, more attention, more excitement—then I would be fulfilled.”
The Catechism warns that disordered desire leads to spiritual blindness and moral collapse (CCC 1852–1863).
2. Class Resentment & Envy
Her resentment toward the town’s upper class becomes a spiritual wound.
Envy is “sadness at the good of another” (CCC 2539), and it corrodes her ability to receive love.
3. Adultery as Self‑Destruction
The film shows adultery not as glamorous but as degrading, humiliating, and ultimately ruinous—mirroring CCC 2380–2381 on the gravity of marital infidelity.
4. The Tragedy of Isolation
Sheila’s downfall begins when she is cut off from community.
The Church teaches that sin thrives in isolation; grace thrives in communion (CCC 1878).
5. The Father Figure as Moral Anchor
H.B. Warner’s character, Daniel, is the film’s conscience—steady, patient, and merciful.
He reflects the Church’s teaching that correction must be rooted in charity (CCC 1829).
π₯ Pre‑Code Elements Worth Noting
- Open depiction of adultery
- Social hypocrisy and class cruelty
- A woman’s sexual agency portrayed without moralizing tone
- Financial deceit and secret property purchases
- Emotional manipulation and predatory male behavior
These themes were common in pre‑Code cinema, which often explored moral decay without the later Production Code’s restrictions.
π· Hospitality Pairing (Richard‑Style)
Drink: The Fallen Rose
- Red wine
- A splash of brandy
- A drop of bitters
- Garnish with a single bruised raspberry
Symbolism:
- Red for passion misdirected
- Brandy for the burn of sin
- Bitters for the consequences
- The bruised berry for the wounded soul
Snack: Cracked‑Crust Brioche
A soft interior with a cracked top—an image of a life that appears golden but is breaking underneath.
